SAN FRANCISCO -- Mookie Betts just might be the best athlete in baseball. He can launch home runs, use his rocket of a right arm to make ridiculous throws like he did Saturday night in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 9-2 win over the Giants in Game 2 of the National League Division Series to nail Wilmer Flores at third base, and he can use his speed to swipe bags with ease.
His athleticism goes well beyond a baseball field, too. Betts tossed a perfect 300 at the World Series of Bowling, and the 5-foot-9 outfielder can dunk a basketball. Still, it was a bit of a surprise to hear him say the name Steph Curry after the Dodgers evened the NLDS at one game apiece on Saturday night.
"Obviously it's huge," Betts said of pitcher Julio Urias' RBI single off Giants starter Kevin Gausman, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. "Sometimes it's just like the -- maybe a bad analogy -- but kind of like Steph Curry just seeing one go in, we just needed to see one cross the plate."
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SIGN UP HERE The Dodgers were shut out by Logan Webb and the Giants in Game 1. However, everybody at Oracle Park knew that wouldn't last much longer. They just didn't know a pitcher would be the first to get the Dodgers on the board.
Betts followed Urias with his own line drive single, giving the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead against Gausman.
"From that point, we were able to know we can do it and just -- I think it builds momentum and now I got a hit after that and we just kind of stayed consistent throughout the game, scoring runs the whole game instead of just in one or two innings," Betts said.
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The Dodgers scored in three separate innings, bringing multiple runs across the plate each time. They scored two runs in the second inning, four in the sixth and three in the eighth.
When it comes to Curry, shooters shoot. His Warriors teammates know a 3-pointer is bound to go in eventually, getting the bench off its feet and creating the perfect domino effect for Golden State's offense.
The Dodgers led the NL in runs during the regular season. In Game 2, all they needed was one run to get themselves going. Now, heading into Game 3 at Dodger Stadium on Monday, they've taken back home-field advantage and are right back in the driver's seat with Max Scherzer on the mound Monday night against Alex Wood and the Giants.